Coalition Statement on Executive Council Meeting

(ANNAPOLIS, MD)–Today, the Chesapeake Executive Council, comprised of the governors from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and New York; the mayor of the District of Columbia; and the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, met to discuss the state of the bay restoration effort. This year’s meeting is particularly crucial, as we continue to see some states fall behind in their clean water goals and as our watershed, and country, grapple with the immediate impacts of COVID-19 and work to address systemic racism in this country.

In response, Choose Clean Water Coalition Director Kristin Reilly issued the following statement:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has left much destruction and uncertainty in its wake. People have lost family and friends, jobs and income, and local businesses are struggling to recover or just survive. The restoration effort was not spared from impact, as the difficult but necessary choices that each Bay jurisdiction made during this shutdown resulted in delays to on-the-ground restoration projects and critical monitoring programs. Now, our local and state governments are looking at an uncertain fiscal future, which could have long-term impacts to the restoration effort as a whole.

“For thousands of families, access to clean water is becoming more difficult, which is why we applaud the Chesapeake Executive Council for taking this first step in singing the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Diversity Statement. Diversity, equity, inclusion and justice are not separate from our Chesapeake Bay restoration work, they are essential to its success. This commitment could not come at a better time, as COVID-19 has highlighted the disproportionate impact of this public health crisis on Black, indigenous, and communities of color, especially for those facing environmental justice issues. However, this effort cannot stop with a signature on a piece of paper, it must be implemented with actions, goals, and accountability measures that ensure progress and real change for all people in our watershed.

“In addition, the 2025 deadline for cleaning up the Bay is fast approaching and, from what we are seeing in the most recent progress reports, some states are still lagging. Once again, Pennsylvania’s progress has fallen short, and, once again, EPA has failed to hold them accountable. This should not be surprising, since this administration has spent the past three and a half years rolling back environmental regulations and enforcement mechanisms. We would like to remind EPA that their role in this restoration effort is to hold the states to the commitments they have made to clean their local rivers, streams and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.”

The Choose Clean Water Coalition is an organization that harnesses the collective power of more than 250 local, state, regional and national groups to advocate for clean rivers and streams in all communities in the Chesapeake region.